4 Weeks Post Op & Dissolving Stitches

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Kiwi Girl

Active member
Joined
Sep 28, 2009
Messages
42
Location
Hamilton, New Zealand
4 weeks post op tomorrow yay, have had trouble breathing the past couple of days but my doctor confirmed today it's just asthma not fluid on my lungs or anything like that which is a relief

I have had two of my dissolving stitches come through my skin, but my doctor said its better just to leave them to dissolve than cut them out. I didnt think to ask at the time, but has anyone had this happen and how long did they take to dissolve?

thanks
 
Hi there.

It took about 4 weeks for all of my stitches to dissolve. They do look like little white worms poking through your skin, but just let them come out in their own time. It helps to put a bit of baby oil and tissue oil on the incision every night.
 
Hey Kiwi Girl !!!

Guess what, I''m 5 weeks tomorrow and yes I have two stitches coming out at the bottom of my cut. I was pissed off at first thinking that my surgeon down at Mayo didn't pass the message on to my family Doc that these had to be removed in a week or so, and to remove them now would hurt like hell. So good to hear ( I Hope) that they will go away. Either that or I just trim them up and forget about them...LOL.
Merry Christmas

Mac
 
Keep an eye on the dissolving stitches that poke thru. Justin has a tendency to have problems with them, so if they get red around thim or just don't seem "right" get them check out and maybe the docs will eihter clip them or like Justin has a couple times, they just pull them out, hurts a tiny little bit, (Justin says kind of like a pimple) Most poeple don't have problems, even poeple who stitches work their way to the surface, but be sure to check them at least once a day if your doc says they are ok and to leave them alone.
 
I had them coming out for nearly 4 months after my initial surgery. As long as you keep everything clean (I rub everything down well with alcohol), it is ok to clip them (I am an RN). I found my skin healed up much quicker when there was not suture poking through. Do not cut into the skin, you can just cut the suture off where it pokes out. It can take months for the disolvable stitches to disolve. I am now 3 weeks out from having my sternal wires removed and dealing with the same issue.
 
kiwi girl i had some breathing issues about 3-4 weeks post op doc said the same, but also gave me some lozengers for thrush in throat which is caused by the inhalers i use ,now 8 weeks post op and all seems normal touch wood!
 
Yep had a big one poke out right at the top! That thing worried me to death (I couldn't keep my hands off it) so the nurse at the surgeons office pulled the knot through and clipped it. Thats the only one I had, it hurt a little but not much.

Mileena
 
Yep had a big one poke out right at the top! That thing worried me to death (I couldn't keep my hands off it) so the nurse at the surgeons office pulled the knot through and clipped it. Thats the only one I had, it hurt a little but not much.

Mileena

Yep, the same thing happened to me. The top knot didn't dissolve. I think I was about 6 weeks out and this 'knot' was snagging on my clothing.

A quick snip in the doctors office...a little band aide and I was good to go.
 
Let'm desolve! Of course, my tube stitches looked just like the disolving ones. My visiting nurse did not cut them off. They were not removed until 7 weeks post op and now I have three keloids there. Live and learn! I hope there is no "next time" to change my treatment of those stitches, however!
 

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